SEOUL: The Rebuilding Korea Party has proposed a temporary, fare-free public transit system to help citizens cope with rising living costs linked to the war in the Middle East.
The proposal suggests funding the initiative through the government's upcoming 25 trillion won (US$17 billion) extra budget.
The plan is modelled on successful European initiatives, such as Germany's '9 euro ticket', and aims to shift government support from vehicle owners to public transport users.
Proponents argue the measure could serve as a short-term step towards a long-term system that would increase transit use, reduce carbon emissions, and help lower inflation.
Cho Kuk, chair of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, proposed temporary public transport discounts to help ease rising living expenses in South Korea as the war in the Middle East drags on.
In a post shared to his Facebook account on Sunday, Cho wrote that a fully-subsidised, fare-free public transit scheme for daily commuters could be included in the administration's upcoming 25 trillion won ($17 billion) extra budget.
"We should refrain from focusing government support measures on vehicle owners," Cho wrote on his Facebook post.
"Support for a majority of citizens who use public transportation should be greatly expanded."
Cho cited fare-free public transport systems used in cities such as Tallinn, Estonia; Dunkirk and Montpellier in France; Stavanger, Norway; and Luxembourg.
Cho did not specify which cities should be subject to the fare-free system or how long the system should last, and did not clarify who would be defined as "daily commuters."
However, he said the short-term measure could lay the groundwork for South Korea to introduce its own equivalent to Germany's '9 euro ticket' initiative.
Germany's 9 euro public transport ticket gave passengers unlimited access to all local and regional transport for a month, from June 2022 to August 2022.
During the three-month operation, traffic volume on Germany's public transport surged 25 per cent, while car traffic decreased by 10 per cent. This helped cut carbon emissions by 1.8 million metric tons and inflation by 0.7 percentage point according to Cho.
Given the outstanding infrastructure of South Korea's public transit system, a similar system could operate in South Korea long-term and lead South Korea's energy transition, Cho claimed.
Cho added that his party will push to have his agenda included when the extra budget bill is brought under parliamentary review. The legislative process will begin if the bill is tabled during the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday as planned. - The Korea Herald/ANN
